ALCESTER'S Greig Hall opened its doors to the public for the first time in ten years to host a Christmas Fayre.

Around 800 people visited the hall last weekend to enjoy festive attractions after it was reopened by the town’s Mayor Cllr Kathryn Cargill.

The Grieg Hall was first opened in 1958 and hosted community groups around Alcester as well as private functions, before it closed in 2011.

Cllr Mark Cargill of Alcester Town Council, who has been instrumental in getting the Greig Hall in a position to reopen, was delighted with the Fayre and the turnout.

He said: “It was a fantastic occasion – the Greig Hall has been a key part of Alcester for many years and there was huge public appetite for it to reopen.

“And Alcester came out in force for the Fayre. We estimate around 800 people came along to see the inside of the hall once again and enjoy the Christmas activities. Even the weather was kind – it all worked out rather nicely for us.

“It highlighted that there is still demand in Alcester for a facility like the Greig Hall for functions such as these. We will now continue our work to get the Hall ready for a full reopening, hopefully in spring next year.

“I have to thank everyone who made the event possible – including the incredible work from the Friends of Greig Hall and their furniture shop Home 2 Home. They have raised a huge amount to help fund the vital repairs the Hall needed before we could reopen.”

While the work to fully reopen the Hall has not yet finished, Alcester Town Council is hopeful the Hall will be sufficiently finished to reopen in spring 2022.

Alcester Town Council took a long lease of the Hall in April 2021 with the ultimate aim to pass it onto the recently formed charity ‘The Greig Hall’, to be run by the community.